A quaint and quiet two-acre park nestled between North and South Parkway Drives is home to more than its small ravine and sledding hills. On the east side of the park stands an engraved stone wall covered in plaques.
The Jack Nicklaus Park was renamed as an accolade in 2016 by the City of Upper Arlington. The park’s sentimental dedication was completed in 2019 thanks to the Jack Nicklaus Tribute Committee, led by Jim Nicklaus, cousin to Jack Nicklaus, as well as Bob Wandel and Jack Saeger.
In the golf world, Jack Nicklaus is known as the Golden Bear; however, the name does not stem from his suburban roots, but instead from an Australian sports reporter.
Nicklaus was first referred to as the “Golden Bear of Golf” in October of 1961, only a month before turning pro, by Don Lawrence for The Melbourne Age. Lawrence described Nicklaus as a “cuddly golden bear,” creating a nickname that would soon be well recognized, and well publicized.
During his time at Upper Arlington, Nicklaus played more than just golf. According to an Upper Arlington City Schools news article, Nicklaus was selected as an all-league basketball player his sophomore, junior, and senior years.
During his junior year, Nicklaus led the golf team to win a state championship while simultaneously earning his first of two individual medalist honors.
His senior year, Nicklaus also received honorable mention all-Ohio as a shooting guard. Additionally, the golf team placed third in the state championship, but Nicklaus won the Tri-State High School Championship and was the individual medalist with a score of 67.
At only 16 years old, Nicklaus qualified for the US Amateur after shooting 66 at Scioto Country Club, competing in his first of 44 consecutive US Opens the following year.
As a proud Golden Bear Alum, Nicklaus praises the Upper Arlington School system for providing ample opportunities for him to play various sports while still gaining a quality education.
“Arlington was special,” Nicklaus recalled in his speech following his induction to the Upper Arlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. ‘We got a good education at Arlington. I know you still get a good education at Arlington.”
Nicklaus told ceremony-goers about how prepared he felt for the future.“Arlington prepared us very well for college, prepared us very well for the what-ifs. I enjoyed it,” Nicklaus said.
During his time as a buckeye, Nicklaus planned to follow in his fathers footsteps on a pre-pharmacy track. Amidst his college years, Nicklaus grew his name in the world of golf, winning two U.S. Amateurs and an NCAA Championship, as well as winning two Walker Cups and shooting a record breaking performance during the Eisenhower Cup with a four-round score of 269.
Nicklaus competed in his first major at only 22 years old, joining Arnold Palmer and Gary Player in golf’s most significant power trio, known as the ‘Big Three.’ At the time of his professional debut, Woody Hayes was ramping up to his peak coaching success at OSU and Jerry Lucas, an OSU basketball player, had just been drafted into the NBA. Nicklaus found motivation in golf’s lack of popularity within Columbus, and began work on his very own golf course.
The Muirfield Village Golf Club, located in Dublin, Ohio, hosts the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide each year. As reported by an article by the PGA Tour, the tournament pumps $35 million into the local economy annually.
The shelves full of gold and glory did not come without hard work from Nicklaus. An article from The Open stated: “Nicklaus famously shot fifty-one over his first nine holes at the Scioto Country Club.”
Scioto Country Club served as not only the host of many rounds for Nicklaus to develop his skills, but also as the connection to professional golfer Jack Grout, Nicklaus’ first and only golf coach.
Following his first round at the age of ten, Nicklaus began to practice golf whenever and wherever he could. Around 50 yards from the park, on the corner of Collingswood and Coventry Roads sat the Nicklaus family home. Through the windows of neighboring houses, Nicklaus was often seen hitting balls into the two-acre park from his front yard until the sun went down. As he got older, Nicklaus was known by his friends to often disappear from the group and be found hours later returning from practice at the Scioto Country Club.
Nicklaus’ college and career success has been captured and commemorated in a 12,000 square foot educational and historical facility on the Ohio State University campus.
“Jack Nicklaus’ total commitment and mental toughness define greatness not only in golf and in sport, but also in life,” the Jack Nicklaus Museum wrote.
